Among The Trees
by MCmondo
Summary: They're never truly lost when they have each other. T/Z One-shot


**Just a one-shot shot starring our two favorite federal agents. Hope you enjoy. No real point to the story, other than their bond.**

* * *

Trees. Trees everywhere.

Their canopies were casting shadows over the muddy ground, their branches were sharp, and their trunks provided a pretty impressive maze. It was never ending, it was hot and it was massive. It was the kind of place that was all too easy to get lost in. It was also a really, _really_ bad place to get into a gun fight with a bunch of crazy rednecks. So, when a certain pair of NCIS very special agents got ambushed at a river bank by said crazy rednecks, their only option was to run. This actually involved a rather risky jump from the top of a waterfall, some white water rafting (without any kayaks) and eventually fleeing into the woods to try and keep their pursuing enemies off their trail. It wasn't exactly anybody's idea of a fun, relaxing Saturday afternoon.

So, after nearly nine hours of aimlessly trekking through this _stupid_ forest, Tony finally decided he wasn't enjoying the experience. In fact, he stopped finding anything fun since the first shot was fired earlier that day. He was lost, hungry and, most of all, scared. His natural way of dealing with fear was to either hide behind humor, or to persistently whine about everything. Given the sweaty, sticky and itchy situation, he went with the latter. A decision that, of course, didn't go down very well with his partner.

She was marching on ahead of him. After hours of his complaining, she mustered all the politeness she had in her (not much at that stage) and essentially asked him to be quiet. His whining was replaced by the silent cursing of her ridiculous stamina. He needed a rest. Like, _really_ needed it. He could no longer ignore the pain in his ankle, the stinging cut on his cheek or the heavy pounding in his head. God, he felt so hungry, thirsty, tired, achy, scared, fed up and… old all at the same time. He wanted nothing more than to just fall on to a big, fluffy bed and just let himself slip into a mini-coma. Preferably after a gallon of water and an extra large pizza. With extra pepperoni, extra sausage, stuffed crusts…

He had to stop thinking about food.

His eyes moved from the ground before his feet back to Ziva. Or rather, Ziva's shapely butt. He'd spent a vast chunk of the day staring at her ass as she led them in any old direction. It made a nice change to the mud and the trees and the _even more damn trees_. He could've sworn she'd put on an extra tight pair of combat trousers that day, but knew he was probably imagining it. He was just trying to keep his mind occupied so he could forget the hunger. Like that could ever happen.

He felt a stab of pain through his entire foot as he tripped on a rock for the millionth time. Luckily, there just so happened to be a tree for him to steady himself against mid-stumble. That didn't stop him from letting out an exhausted cry of pain and anguish.

''Ziva, we've got to stop.'' He all but yelled as he tried to catch his wayward breath. ''Seriously, if I trip on one more damn rock, I'm gonna shoot myself!''

She turned to face him. He could see panic in her eyes, as well the exhaustion she was trying to hide. Her hair was messy and he face was sweaty. She even had a dirt on her cheek, but Tony couldn't help but think she looked good. What was wrong with his brain? He needed to stop thinking about how hot Ziva looked when she was sweaty _and_ about food. But that was pretty much all his brain was good for. On any day.

''Lower your voice, Tony.'' She said in a whispered hiss. ''They could still be looking for us.''

He groaned loudly as he looked up at the heavens with frustration. ''They're not.''

''And you are sure of that?''

He ran an impatient hand over his face, and nearly collapsed in agony. ''It's getting dark, Ziva. They've probably all gone home to eat road kill, or something. Why would they still be out here?''

''Because they are crazy and want to kill us!'' She argued, as if it was obvious.

He let out a heavy sigh. ''Well, you know what? They can find me and shoot me if they want, I'm staying right here and passing out.''

His unreasonable plan brought a look of shocked confusion to Ziva's face, but he was too busy sliding down the tree and sitting against its base to acknowledge her reaction. The small whimper he let out after taking the weight off his aching legs should have been embarrassing, but he honestly couldn't care less. He still felt like crap, but the relief almost made him cry. Yep, he wouldn't be moving from here for a while. Now he just needed a burger to fall from the sky and…crap. He _seriously_ had to stop thinking about food.

''You are not giving up, are you?''

He hadn't even realized his eyes were closed until Ziva's disbelieving tone made him force them back open. She was standing in front of him now, hands on hips and mouth agape. He almost smiled at the familiar sight, but he only managed a tiny twitch at the corner of his lips. ''Giving up on what?'' He asked. ''Getting even more lost?''

She rolled her eyes. ''We have been through this.'' She stated impatiently. ''The forest has to end at some point.''

''I know.'' He replied, matching her tone. ''That's why I said we should've followed the river.''

''That would have made us too easy to chase after!''

He let out another tired groan. ''I don't want to have this argument again.''

She squatted in front of him. ''Then stop fighting with me.'' She pleaded, offering a hand to help him back up. ''Come on, Tony.''

He sighed again. If it were anyone else, he wouldn't even consider it. But because it was Ziva, and because she was sending him a pleading look through her frightened eyes, he was seriously weighing up the pros and cons of marching onward. He knew she needed to keep moving. She needed to keep her mind active in order to try and cope with all this. If they stopped, she would finally allow herself to become frightened and maybe even give in to the exhaustion. He understood that and, to a certain extent, felt the same way. But he literally couldn't move. He felt so heavy and so weak. He tried to show her this using their silent _partner language_ that always served them so well, but it only brought about the slight softening of her features.

He took a deep breath and tried to find some strength. ''I can't keep going.'' He said sincerely. ''I mean it, Ziva. I'm dying here.''

She gave him a sympathetic look, and reached out to run a gentle hand over the cut on his cheek. ''How badly are you hurt?''

He opened his mouth to answer, but was swiftly cut off. ''And be honest about it for once.'' She added, with an all-knowing frown.

He didn't even bother trying to deny it. It wasn't worth another argument. ''My ankle's pretty bad.'' He answered honestly. ''And my back is pretty sore. But other than those minor things and the hunger pains, I'm just a little thirsty. No big deal.''

Her look made it obvious that she wasn't convinced. ''If it was _no big deal_ then you would not look like you were about to start crying.'' She was reaching into her pocket for the bottle of water as she spoke, and he found his eyes glued to the small amount of the heavenly liquid at the bottom of it. ''You only had to ask for some, you know?'' She said softly. ''I may be grumpy, but I am not going to bite your head off if you want some water.''

He shook his head slightly, before meeting her gaze once more. ''There's barely any left, Ziva. Save it for yourself.''

''I was trained to survive situations like this, Tony.'' She reminded him sternly. ''You need it more than me. Drink.''

Their collective stubbornness could have kept this going forever, so he gave in. He took the bottle from her hand and knocked back the water inside it with a two big gulps. The feeling of it travelling down his throat made him close his eyes and moan contentedly, but the pleasure was short lived. It was only a small relief to his body's suffering, and now there was no water left. It was only downhill from here. He just hoped the bottom of the figurative hill had a five star hotel. With food and beds and showers and…

His thoughts trailed off at his partner's small chuckle. He squinted at her with half-opened eyes. ''Enjoy it while you can. There is none left now.'' She informed him.

''You sound like you're enjoying my suffering too much.''

She tilted her head and sent him a gentle look of admonishment. ''Of course not.'' She defended softly. ''It was just nice to see you smile, even if it was only a small one.''

He'd smiled? He didn't even notice. ''I thought my face usually annoyed you?''

She sighed and looked distantly at the nothingness around them. ''Only when you are _deliberately_ annoying me.'' She said, before lowering her voice to a more hushed tone. ''Right now, though, seeing you smile gives me hope.'' She looked back to him, her deep, brown eyes speaking volumes. He could only frown in question. ''It reminds me that this could be far worse. That, even though we are lost, we are lost together.''

He felt his chest warm at her words. God, she was right. He couldn't even imagine doing this alone.

''So, seeing you smile…'' She continued, her eyes suddenly looking anywhere but his face. ''It calms me down. We have survived so many bad situations together. We have suffered so much, and you have never let yourself stop smiling.'' She swallowed as her honesty became harder to express. ''Sometimes, it is the only thing that keeps me going.''

His face melted as he stared at her in awe. He wasn't expecting to bump into the open, honest Ziva at any point during this hellish expedition. He always found her to be much better company than the grouchy, trekking Ziva, so he decided to simply bask in the deep feelings of affection running through his heart. One day, when he was able to muster the energy again, he would tell her all the ways she kept _him_ going. It wasn't a long list, really. In fact, he could reduce it down to about one characteristic. Everything . Everything she did kept him going on a day to day basis. He wasn't sure he could put that into words right then, though. He figured that any heartfelt confessions should be made when they _weren't_ completely lost in the wilderness.

''Hey, you can be pretty smiley yourself, sweetcheeks. You're not as grumpy as you think.''

Sure enough, the corner of her mouth lifted as she aimed an almost shy looking smile at the ground. ''Well, that is because my partner likes to act like an idiot on a daily basis. It can be quite entertaining, you know.''

He sent her a teasing smirk. ''Sounds like a great guy. Maybe I'll get to meet him one day.''

''He is usually too busy getting into gunfights and jumping from thirty foot waterfalls to meet anyone.''

His smile fell as the vivid memories came back to him…

'' _They've got us pinned down, Ziva.''_

'' _I hate redthroats.''_

'' _We can't just stay here.''_

'' _Well, what do you suggest, Tony? I doubt these people would understand what a ceasefire is.''_

'' _I say we jump for it.''_

'' _What?''_

'' _We can make that, right?''_

'' _We do not even know he deep it is.''_

'' _It's our only choice.''_

'' _We could break our necks, Tony.''_

'' _We won't. Just trust me, okay?''_

And trusted him she did. He could see her smile fading as she seemed to recollect the events as well. They jumped together, and now they were lost together. They had no food, no water, no working cell phones, no sense of direction and no ideas. But they still had each other. And, really, that was the bare minimum Tony could survive with. She was far more valuable to him than anything else. As vital as oxygen.

''Were you planning on staying here long?''

He met her eyes again after her question. He could tell she was already itching to get moving again. ''I was hoping to try and catch some sleep.'' He answered truthfully.

She failed to hold back her sigh. ''Tony, the longer we wait around, the hungrier you will get.''

Bringing up his ravenous hunger? She was really attacking his weak spot there. ''I'm not that hungry.'' He argued childishly. She simply raised an eyebrow at him, not buying it for one second. ''Okay, maybe I am.'' He conceded. ''But it's not like my stomach is gonna get even more empty if I take a nap.''

She ran a frustrated hand over her forehead. ''I just want to get out of here.'' She snapped.

''I noticed.''

She glared at him slightly. ''And I know you do, too.''

He sent another half-smile in her direction. ''Maybe I'm having fun out here in the wild. You know, being one with nature and all that.''

She scoffed. ''Oh, please.''

He chuckled warmly. ''Are you calling my love of the great outdoors into question?''

''Oh no, Tony.'' She replied sarcastically. ''You have always been quite the mountain man.''

His brow furrowed. ''What, like Big-Foot? I know I'm kinda hairy but…''

His chest panged when she snorted and burst into quiet laughter. He could see what she meant about the whole smiling thing now, because he'd subconsciously spent the last few minutes trying to make her laugh and the welcome sound was music to his ringing ears. He couldn't help but feel relieved that he was still able to let her relax a little bit, even in situations like this. All he wanted was to make her let go of her instinctive defense mechanisms and let herself sit down with him and rest. She was Ziva, but she was still only human. He almost raised his fist in triumph when she gracefully slid herself into a seated position and leaned against the tree beside him, resting her shoulder against his. Suddenly he felt a lot more comfortable.

''Perhaps we should light a fire.'' She suggested after a few moments of peaceful silence. ''If you insist on staying here all night, we will get a little chilly.''

He bumped her shoulder with his. ''You can always leave me here, if you want. You'll find help quicker on your own. I'm only slowing you down.''

He wasn't sure why he suggested it, actually, because now he was terrified she might actually agree with his logic and abandon him until she sent someone out to rescue him. That sounded bad. And scary. And he kind of wished he kept his mouth shut. But, after daring to turn his head and meet her eyes, her expression both reassured him and terrified him. He could see there was no way she liked his idea, and she actually looked insulted at the mere suggestion of abandoning him. He internally winced, preparing himself for a verbal smack-down. Or maybe it would be a physical one. Who knew? Either way, he couldn't see himself fighting back.

''I'm guessing you're not a fan of that idea.''

She took a deep, calming breath. ''You think I could just leave you here?'' Her quiet tone made his stomach do a little flip. ''On your own, in the middle of nowhere, with no food and no water. I would never be able to live with myself, Tony, even if I could come back to get you.'' He could have sworn he saw her chin quiver ever so slightly, and suddenly _regret_ didn't quite cut it. ''No. Whatever happens, we stick together. How could you even suggest that?''

That question wasn't rhetorical, but he only wished he could give her a useful answer. ''I don't know.'' He replied honestly. ''I just thought that if you wanted to keep going that badly-'' He yelped as she hit his torso with the back of her hand.

''Well, you were wrong.''

He narrowed his eyes at her. ''I would've understood that without the need for physical violence, you know.''

She rolled her eyes. ''You are an idiot.''

''I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.''

She let out a small chuckle. ''Believe me, that is the most polite way I could describe you.''

He raised his eyebrows. ''Really?''

She met his eyes again and, if her smile wasn't shining with affection, then her eyes definitely were. They briefly flicked down to his mouth and back, and suddenly she felt _really_ close. He didn't mind it, though, and somehow every painful nerve ending in his body was numbed slightly. It was oh so tempting to kiss her, and the silence had dragged on for longer than appropriate. But, what the heck? They had plenty of time on their hands. So he held her loaded gaze for as long as he could without losing the grip on his self-restraint. After a few shared breaths, she looked away and cleared her throat.

''I still think we should try and get a fire going.'' Her voice wavered slightly as she spoke. ''This area is well covered. If they are still looking for us, it shouldn't give away our position too badly.''

He looked up at the fading light in the evening sky. The dying sunlight left a soft glow at the roof of the tree canopies, and the scorching afternoon heat had made way for a far more pleasant breeze that glided through the forest, weaving its way in and out of the city of bark. He still wasn't the biggest fan of this place, but right then he had to admit it was kind of beautiful. He could understand why people liked spending time in the great outdoors, and even considered doing a bit more hiking or mountain biking in his spare time. You know, when he wasn't busy being on the run from gun-wielding maniacs and aching from top to toe. Oh, and he'd _definitely_ have to bring food on these imaginary retreats. And maybe even Ziva.

''Tony?''

He returned to real, painful world at the sound of said Ziva's voice. ''Hm?'' He responded hazily.

''You are day dreaming again.'' She said in a somewhat impatient tone.

''I am?''

She reached over to rest her hand on his knee, a sympathetic expression decorating her pretty face. ''I just need to you to focus while we get the fire going.'' She said in a soft hush. ''You can try and sleep after that. But, until then, try and stay with me. Please?''

He felt himself turn to mush as his tired brain acknowledged the fear and anxiety in her eyes. She wasn't asking for much, really, but it felt like a hell of a lot. Whatever strength he had left would be used to help her, though. Whatever she needed from him, he wouldn't let her down. Hell, he would build a whole damn bonfire if she wanted. Sore ankles and empty stomachs could always be put to one side. She never could.

''Sorry.'' He said, blinking his way out of his trance. ''You've got yourself one alert and uninjured special agent reporting for duty. What can I do for you today, ma'am?''

'' _Ma'am?_ ''

He winced in a typical over-the-top manner. ''I mean, what can I do for you today, pretty lady?'' She raised an eyebrow at him. '' _Young,_ pretty lady?''

She sighed. ''Tony-''

''-How about young, exotic, beautiful woman whose company I enjoy immensely.''

This time she moved her hand up to his shoulder. ''Just stop talking and find some fire wood.'' Her smile expressed her true appreciation of his compliments, though. ''I will try and make some kindling. The leaves and twigs should be nice and dry.''

He nodded in agreement. ''You gonna do the old rub-two-sticks-together trick?''

''Perhaps.''

He smiled teasingly. ''I would love to see that.''

''You do not think I could do it?'' She challenged, and the sparkle in her eyes told him she was more the happy to prove him wrong.

''Yeah, you probably could.'' He conceded.

She gave him a small, satisfied smile. ''Actually, I was rather hoping you still had your lighter with you.''

That jogged his memory. How could her have forgotten about that? ''Oh yeah.'' He said with a frown. ''I wonder if it survived its mid-afternoon swim. Its owner nearly didn't.'' He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small source of flames, giving it a few experimental clicks. After a few failed sparks, he shared a look of disappointment with Ziva. ''Looks like it's suffered the same fate as our cell phones.''

She hummed in disapproval. ''Let me try.''

Before he could reply, she'd snatched it from his hand. ''So now you have magic lighter fixing powers? 'Cause I've got a bad ankle if your sorcery works on humans, too.''

She rolled her eyes at his sarcasm, before returning her frown of concentration back at the object in her hands. And maybe there was a God, after all. Or maybe she really was magical, but after a few more attempts, a long flame majestically rose up from the top of the lighter. His eyes were suddenly transfixed on the beautiful sight, but he could still see the triumphantly proud smile on Ziva's face.

''I have been told a few times that I have magic hands.'' She said smugly. ''Perhaps it is true.''

His brow furrowed with curiosity. ''Who thinks you have magic hands?'' Both her eyebrows were raised when she smiled at him, and he did some much needed hypothesizing. He guessed all her hand admirers were probably men. ''Never mind.''

''That will save us some time.'' She announced happily, pocketing the lighter as she got back to her feet far too easily. ''Come on, Tony.''

It took all the energy he had to lift his hand to the one she was offering him. He couldn't even begin to imagine how hard standing up was going to be. But after a huge groan of discomfort from him and a hefty pull from Ziva, he was upright again. It wasn't so bad actually, if you discounted the agonizing bones and burning muscles. Other than feeling like he was about to pass out, he felt just dandy. He even managed to lift his weight off Ziva's shoulder and support himself fully without collapsing. He gave himself a sold B+ for the effort.

''There we are, that wasn't so hard.'' She said in slightly patronizing tone, before rubbing his back soothingly. ''Now, go and ground up some fire wood. You can lie down after that.''

He grunted incoherently. '' _Round_ up.'' He corrected, his voice thin with pain.

''What was that?''

He turned to her in frustration. ''I said, it's _round_ up not…'' He trailed off at her Mona Lisa smile. ''You heard me.''

She chuckled warmly, before resting a gentle hand over his chest. ''Let's just get the hard part done, Tony. You can tell me some nice, cozy campfire stories later. That will involve much less movement.''

He winced as another wave of exhaustion hit him. ''And to think, I was going to bring my guitar.''

She chuckled again, and her hand elevated to pat his cheek affectionately. ''Perhaps on our next adventure.''

And with that, she turned away and began to salvage what she could from the forest floor. He couldn't help but smile to himself at her words. He hoped they never had to go through something like this again, but part of him was suddenly hopeful that there would be many more campfires to be shared with this woman. He certainly knew there would be many more adventures with her, anyway. That was simply an integral part of their relationship. It would be nice, however, to go on an adventure with Ziva by choice. He was admittedly tired of being forced to embark upon these team-building quests by bad guys. But, as long as he had her, he could survive anything. Grateful wasn't a strong enough word.

* * *

It didn't take too long for them to get a fire going. It didn't take too long for Tony to fall asleep on the ground next to it, either. Of course, with Ziva being Ziva, she didn't allow herself the same luxury and instead decided to vigilantly keep watch. The last thing he saw before he drifted off into an uncomfortable slumber was his partner leaning against the nearest tree and raking her watchful eyes over the surrounding darkness. He could tell she was exhausted, no matter how much she argued against it, but he all but passed out as soon as his body became horizontal, so that was the end of that little debate. The ground was hard, and he was still famished- not to mention gasping for water- but all that was put to one side as his body became numb and his brain began to go into stand-by mode.

At some unknown time of night, he was gently coaxed from his dreamland by a familiar voice and a soft touch. He didn't have enough energy to wake up quickly, so he began to regain his senses one at a time. Firstly, he felt the simultaneous warmth of the fire on one side of his body, and the chill of the night air on the other. That and the slightly cold hand cupping his cheek were the only sensations he could feel in that moment. At least there was no pain. Not yet, anyway.

After inhaling a deep breath through his nostrils, he was hit with the scent of smoke. It wasn't the kind of smoke that brought back memories of Baltimore, where he managed to save a kid but not the kid's sister. No, this wasn't the stuff from his nightmares. This was far more comforting. Maybe it was the fact that he was out in the open air, and not trapped in a building. Maybe it was the fact that he had helped create these flames, and that they were the only source of warmth and protection that he had. Or maybe it was the fact that the ever-welcome scent of Ziva mixed itself in with the smell of smoke. The two contrasting odors were doing a slow dance in the air around him and, quite frankly, it was one hell of nice way to wake up. Even if he felt like he couldn't move.

''Tony?''

He could hear her voice close to his ears. It was soft, intimate even, but he could still read the concern in her tone. That's what finally gave him the will power to open his eyes; despite the pain it caused his irises. And there she was, her face looking down at him openly. She doesn't even try and mask her apparent sympathy, or even fight back the small smile of relief pulling at the corners or her mouth. Again, what a way to wake up. Ziva's gorgeous face, glowing slightly in the light of the fire, with a trail of smoke rising over her into the trees towering above. He almost forgot why they were here, because it just seemed so…pleasant. He recalled her words about how much she appreciated seeing him smile, and was suddenly able to understand exactly what she had meant. There could have been an explosive battle raging around them and he wouldn't care. Seeing her look at him like that made every inch of him relax.

''I am sorry to wake you, Tony.'' She said quietly. ''I have found some water.''

Suddenly reality came crashing back. Her vocal reminder seemed to act as the stimulus for his body to start protesting angrily at the lack of nourishment it had received over the past day. He was all too aware that his throat was painfully dry, his stomach was agonizingly empty, and that his head was pounding. He couldn't stop himself groaning in anguish as he tried to sit up, hoping to see a picnic basket next to Ziva full of food and water. And maybe a tent, and an inflatable mattress…and a radio, or something.

He didn't get far, though, before another hand was placed on his chest to prevent his movement. ''It is okay.'' Ziva's voice was like a soothing melody. ''I have got it.''

She offered him the open bottle in her hand, and even held it to his mouth as he gulped it down greedily. He made sure there was some left for her, though, and let his head fall back to the ground as the water trickled its way into his stomach. He let his eyes close again and barely even noticed that her hand was still gently caressing the stubble on his cheek. He didn't mind, anyway. He was pretty sure he'd miss her touch if it was gone.

''There is a stream not too far from here.'' She explained to him. ''I nearly fell in it when I was collecting more fire wood.''

That answered the question of where she got the refill, but he realized he hadn't once wondered about it, even in his head. He just thought it was a gift from God. He felt Ziva shift around a bit, and reopened his eyes to see her clearing a small patch of dirt to lie down in. When she lay down next him, shoulder to shoulder, he soaked in her close presence and found himself in that strange sense of relaxation again. He had spent this entire outdoor expedition in the company of a gift from God, and it wasn't the water.

He cleared his throat to try and find his voice for the first time. ''You want me to keep watch?'' She turned her face to him, and he did his best to ignore increased pressure in his heart as she gazed into his eyes. ''If you wanna get some sleep.'' He added in a somewhat raspy voice.

She shook her head, ever as a badly timed yawn overcame her. ''No, you stay there. I do not think we need to worry about our new friends until the morning.''

Good, because he wasn't getting up anytime soon.

''Okay.'' He said, not bothering to try and argue. ''I'm sorry you've got to sleep on the floor with your stinky partner. It's not exactly Parisian hotel standard.''

She smiled at the memory. ''No, but the ground is not that uncomfortable when you are tired.''

''And the stinky partner?'' He asked with a smirk.

She sniffed. ''You could use a shower.'' She agreed. ''But, right now, you smell more like campfire than sweat.''

He chuckled at the typical matter-of-fact way she expressed her opinion in.

''A pillow would be nice, though.'' She stated after a small groan of discomfort.

He couldn't agree more, actually, and even raised his hands up to link behind his head. That was a bit better, but it wouldn't be long before his arms started to hurt as well. ''We need to remember to carry extra food and big, fluffy pillows with us wherever we go from now on.'' His tone was dead serious.

Ziva hummed in agreement. ''All I have is my big, hairy coworker.''

''You're more than welcome to use your big, hairy, handsome, funny coworker as a pillow if you want to, Miss David.''

He wasn't really serious this time, but after she didn't reply straight away, he turned to see what she was thinking. To his surprise, she seemed to consider the suggestion. After a few more seconds, she shrugged and sat back up, before twisting around and lying her head back down on his chest. He let out a surprised grunt as she shuffled her butt to get comfortable. He was too tired to be shocked at her move and, honestly, he welcomed her weight on his chest. Somehow, this felt more comfortable for him, too.

She let out a small sound of surprise. ''Hmm. That _is_ better.''

He swallowed. ''Glad I could help you out.''

After a few silent moments, her alert eyes fell from the night sky and she turned her head to look up at him. He was a little embarrassed to be caught staring at her, but she didn't seem to care. And now he was staring into her deep, brown orbs, there was very little chance of him averting his gaze anytime soon. They stayed like this for few seconds, her head rising a falling with his chest as he breathed. Again, he forgot exactly why they were in this predicament. And again, he kind of wished they were spending time like this by choice. If the circumstances were better, and generally less dangerous, then it would almost have been nice.

''Do you think Gibbs will be looking for us by now?'' She asked in a soft whisper.

He snapped himself out of his distant thoughts. ''Um…yeah. Yeah, he must be. He probably sent in the SWAT team as soon as we didn't answer our cells.'' His own words reminded him of something. ''Any luck getting them to work yet?''

She sighed heavily. ''No. They have been by the fire for hours, but I think they have had it.''

He winced. ''So much for letting them dry out, huh? Whose bright idea was that anyway?''

''An idiot's.''

He scoffed in mock-offense. ''And that's putting it mildly, right?''

Her smile made his chest warm. Or maybe that was just her head.

''It is putting it _politely_.'' She corrected. ''Although, it is a fairly mild insult.''

''Please don't feel like you've gotta think of a worse one.''

She felt pity, and reached up to pat his shoulder reassuringly. ''I don't. I could never insult you sincerely, Tony. I hope you know that.''

His brow furrowed. ''Really?''

''Well, not anymore.'' She added with a wink.

His eyes narrowed slightly. ''Right, but you do draw the line at outright complimenting me. That would be a bridge too far.''

Her smile fell, and she sent him a look like he'd just slapped her in the face. It probably took him too long to realize he'd hurt her with his words, but by the time he did, it was apparently too late. She lifted her head from his chest and leaned on her elbow as she frowned down at him. For probably the one billionth time in his life, Tony wished he could take back the words that tumbled out of his mouth so effortlessly, and so thoughtlessly.

''That is not true, Tony.'' She defended indignantly.

This conversation had taken a dramatic turn to seriousness, and he didn't like it. ''I was kidding, Ziva.''

Her face softened a bit, but not fully. ''It sounded like you meant it.''

He took a deep, composing breath. ''I don't know…maybe. I mean, it's not like we spend a lot of time being nice to each other. Right? It's just…'' He trailed off as he struggled to find a way to word his point without offending her even further. One day, he would learn to shut his stupid mouth.

''That is how we have always been.'' She reminded him.

He nodded, that was actually his point. ''Exactly. I'm not saying it's a one way street. It's just how we work, and I'm okay with that.''

Her frown had all but disappeared, and her gaze dropped to the ground as she appeared to think his words over. ''I do not really think you are an idiot.'' She confessed softly. ''And I am sorry if the way we treat each other upsets you. I just thought we both knew where we truly stand, and that was all that matters.''

Her words, along with her almost shy demeanor, made his heart squeeze. ''I'm not upset.'' He assured through a tight throat. ''I know where we stand.''

She returned her head to his chest with a relieved sigh. ''Thank god. For a second, I was afraid you were starting to hate me.''

Tony laughed at the ridiculousness of that thought. ''Not possible.'' He said honestly.

That bone-melting smile returned to her face as she looked up at him. After a few moments of peace, with nothing but the sound of the campfire crackling and the wind howling, he could see that Ziva wanted to say something else. He was suddenly a lot less confident that his reassuring words had actually worked. But, after a few seconds of dread, she simply started running her hand over his chest next to her head. It was a soft and gentle action, and it felt almost loving as opposed to simply affectionate. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part.

''I may not say it out loud.'' She began quietly. ''But I _am_ very complimentary of you, Tony.''

''Yeah?''

She nodded surely. ''I hope you never doubt that.''

He thought about that. _Really_ thought about it. And, yeah, he supposed that at one time he did doubt her opinion of him. But not for a long, long time. Honestly, she didn't actually have to say it out loud because he could just see it. It was in the affectionate glint in her eyes, the soft touches she recently began to give him, the warmth in her smile when she sees him in the morning. It was all there to be seen, if not heard. And he was okay with that, but part of him wondered how different their dynamic could be if they were a bit more open about their obvious mutual feelings. Part of him was desperate to find out, suddenly.

''Maybe we should start saying these…things out loud.''

He chanced another look at her, and found her eyes widened somewhat at his suggestion. ''I think it would be good for us, you know?'' He added, trying to make it sound more innocent. ''We may as well turn this nightmare into a team bonding exercise.''

To his relief, she laughed and he could see her visibly relax again. ''So you have nice things to say about me, as well?'' He knew she was just pretending to be surprised at that.

''I'm sure I can think of something.'' He teased.

She scoffed dismissively. ''You do not have to. I am not nearly as insecure as you are.''

He was all too aware that she'd just lied there.

''No, but maybe we could both use a little ego boost after losing a fight to bunch of hillbillies.''

A small grunt of agreement escaped her lips. ''Perhaps you are right.''

He decided that was the permission slip he needed. ''For example,'' He started, trying his best to hold back a smirk. ''I find it amazing that you managed to get in a gunfight, nearly drown in a river, march through a forest, do it all without eating anything and _still_ manage to look good. Like, beautiful good.''

He could visibly see her breath catching, and even felt her tense up against him. ''You cannot possibly believe that after the day we have had.'' She argued thickly. ''I am a mess.''

''Your hair is a little bit messy, but it kind of suits you.'' He praised softly. ''I always liked it wild and untamed. But then again, I don't think I've ever looked at you and not thought you were beautiful, so I might be biased.'' He reached down and brushed a few loose curls out of her face, trying his best to express his sincerity through his eyes.

She smiled self consciously, and he could have sworn her cheeks flushed slightly. That could have been the heat from the fire, though.

''Thank you.'' She whispered after a while. ''You are the nicest pillow I have ever used.''

His chest heaved with laughter. ''See? This whole _being nice_ thing is good fun.''

She hummed in agreement, resuming her hand's trail across his chest. Back and forth, back and forth. It was so soothing and so _right_. He wondered why they couldn't sleep next to each other more often. Or maybe every single night for the rest of their lives. Okay, maybe he was getting a bit ahead of himself there. But the heart wants what it wants, right? And, although his heart was struggling with the strain of keeping his body going without food, every beat was still for her. The woman lying over his heart was oblivious to just how much it ached for her. Maybe if he paid her enough compliments in the near future, he could tell her that.

Ziva's hushed, and worried, voice met his ears. ''Do you think we can get out of this tomorrow?''

He considered that for a few seconds. ''I don't see why not.'' He answered truthfully. ''We'll have the one and only Leroy Jethro Gibbs looking for us. And this damn forest has to end at some point, right? I just hope you're not above dragging me when my legs finally give up.''

''I am not above doing anything if it gets you home safely.''

Her voice was so sure, so sincere, that he felt tears burn the backs of his eyes. God, he knew where she coming from. The truth was that they were _both_ a thousand times more concerned with getting their partner to safety than they were with themselves. Like their lack of compliments, that was just how they worked. It was never _I_ or _me_. It was always _we,_ _us_ , _them_. Both of them escaped or neither of them did. Because after nearly nine years, they were as good as one life form.

''I know I do not say many nice things to you, Tony.'' She said, after a minute or so of silence. ''But, earlier, you said you enjoyed my company.''

He couldn't quite remember saying that. But it was very true, so who cared?

''I just want you to know that I return that feeling.'' She continued quietly. ''If there was one person in the whole world who I had to choose to go through this situation with, it would be you.''

Her point was honest, and so heart stopping, that he had to blink back the tears this time. The feeling was unbelievably, unchangeably mutual. He couldn't help but lift his head and place an adoring kiss to her forehead. ''Right back at you.''

Her reactive smile was full of affection, and he could even feel the pulse in her neck quicken as she gazed up at him. ''Do you ever think we will stop getting into trouble together?''

Her question caused his brain to project about a dozen different memories. Defusing bombs, gunfights, broken elevators, car crashes, war games, terrorist camps… Okay, that last one made him bring it all to a stop. He considered her question, though, and decided that the key word in her phrasing wasn't 'trouble'. It was _together_. Because, it seemed, no matter how often they found themselves in grave peril, he'd never lost her. They'd never lost each other. So, really, it didn't matter if they kept getting into trouble so long as they could rely on one another to get them out of it.

''It doesn't matter.'' He answered eventually. ''Together, we can beat anything, Ziva.''

She nodded, as if he'd just confirmed the validity of her own theory. ''I know.''

''Now, let's try and get some sleep.'' He suggest softly. ''You look exhausted, and we have another big day tomorrow.''

Her eyes were drooping, even as she shrugged off his concerns dismissively. But she didn't argue. Instead, she placed a warm kiss to hollow of his throat before nuzzling into his chest and finally closing her eyes. It took him a while to find sleep himself, but he knew it would come eventually. Besides, the company wasn't all that bad. His mind drifted between planning their next day of trekking, and how comforting Ziva's weight was on his body. Forget the danger. Right then, it was just him and her, lying alone among the trees.

* * *

Another bullet fizzed past his head. _That_ one was too damn close.

They'd re-encountered their redneck buddies and, naturally, things turned hostile immediately. Now they found themselves running along the river, which they'd also reunited with, and hoping that one of the flying pieces of led didn't hit them. Well, Ziva was running anyway. For Tony, it was more like hobbling. He couldn't help but feel like he was burdening her, and even considered stopping to hold them off and let her escape. He knew better than to try that, though. There was no way she'd allow it.

After they veered back down to the river bank, she turned to face him, before dragging him into a small cave. As soon as he'd entered it, he fell into a heap against the rocky wall. He could barely breathe, let alone keep running. This may be the last stop on the Anthony DiNozzo train. But there was still hope for Ziva. He didn't want her staying here and dying because of him.

''How many bullets do you have left?'' He rasped.

She wiped at the sweat on her forehead, before turning away from the cave's entrance to face him. ''None. You?''

He shook his head. ''My gun's as empty as these guys' brains.''

''We cannot stay here for long.''

He braced himself for an argument. ''You go, Ziva. I'm only holding you up.''

She shot an angry glare at him. ''I swear to god, Tony, if you suggest that again-''

''Please, Ziva.'' He cut in. ''For me? Get out of here.''

She approached him, her face suddenly stern. He half-expected to receive a slap, or even a punch, from his hardened Israeli friend. None came. Instead, she crouched down in front of him and lifted her free hand to his face. ''Tony, either we both get out of this, or neither of us do.'' It was the exact same thought he'd been having the night before, and he had to admit, he would have the same attitude in her position. ''I am not leaving you, so shut up.''

He actually smiled at her blunt order, but eventually found himself accepting her words. He gently grasped her hand from his cheek, and placed a soft kiss to her knuckles. ''If I had to choose anyone to die with, it would be you, Ziva.''

His confession made her face melt, and he even saw tears welling her eyes. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, the corner of his mouth, his lips. It was warm, loving, and long overdue. As he heard their enemies approach them from outside, he couldn't help but feel a sad ache at the tragedy of it all. It took two soul mates nearly a decade at each other's side to truly find each other. And now this beautiful, heart-warming kiss may just be the last interaction they ever got to have with each other.

What a way to go, though.

They pulled back from the kiss, hands entwined, and the expression on both their faces said it all.

''Together.''

A nod, ''Together.''

They didn't want it to end like this, but if it had to, they'd have it no other way.

Suddenly, a loud voice shouted out from somewhere above them. ''NCIS! Drop your weapons!''

Ziva's eyes widened. They both knew that bellow.

Gunfire echoed through the air outside their little geological shelter, and by the time they'd finally got Tony to his feet again, it had stopped. In fact, the only sounds were the gentle trickle of the river and the repetitive sound of helicopter propellers. Ziva helped him hobble back out into the open, and there they stood. McGee and Gibbs. What a sight for sore eyes they were.

And so they'd survived. Yet again. They all climbed into the helicopter and flew to safety over the tall trees, a sea of green stretching on for miles.

His hand never left hers. They would never truly be lost if they had each other.

* * *

 **There's no real geographical setting for this story (to all you Yanks wondering what forest this could possibly have been). It was just another idea that popped up. Hope you liked it and thanks for reading.**


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